Thursday, June 26, 2014
Monday, June 2, 2014
Stubborn and Perseverance
The rest of season has kind of been bumping along with some
minor issues.
Started out in March with a Virtual Half Marathon – Spring Forward
Half which I just ran in the neighborhood (1:59:20 or 9:07/mi) once again I
struggled through some GI issues.
Next in April was the First of Five Henderson Hall Ooh Rah Series
Events – Spring Salute 5K. Nice cool morning and I had great run (21:29 or
6:56/mi)
Then the Cherry Pit 10 Miler – This one my GI issues hit
hard. I was walking a lot and had no chance of being consistent (1:25:57 or 8:35)
Next was the Marine Corps 17.75K – This race I had done
before and it’s an automatic qualifier for the Marine Corps Marathon – the course
this time was entirely in the Prince William Park and it was very hard and hilly – I had
a slight GI issue but finished (1:29:13 or 9:38/mi) to get my golden ticket to the MCM.
I then got some great professional advice on my GI issues…So
it looks like I have been going way overboard with the electrolytes prior to
races…after I switched my routine to just water 48 hours prior to a race I had my
best overall race of the season from a GI and performance issue…Race two of the
Ooh Rah Run Series the Iwo Jima Memorial 8K – new course from years past and it
required a serious run up the entire length of Fort Whipple Hill – I had a top
25 finish (41:01 or 8:01/mi). What I was most happy was that every split was at
8:00/mi and I finished with no GI issues and felt really good.
Back in mid-April I started to hit the pool in training for
the Rock Hall Sprint. I had to re-learn how to stroke and learn both bi-lateral
and sight breathing. Basically I had to re-teach my self how to swim (with the help of my coach). I had not
swum long distances since I swam the mile in Boy Scouts when I was 14 years old,
so I also had to build up my swim strength. So by the time the Sprint rolled
around I had been swimming twice a week in the pool and gotten my distance up
to 1800m.
So back to “There is a fine line between stubborn and perseverance.”
The day before the race I was doing so chores around the house…one of which was
putting some bins back into the attic…Falling out of the attic hurts… I didn’t
fall thru the ceiling but the frame work of the access hatch broke as I was
coming down and I had to catch myself, using my arms and elbows…Bobbi did catch
me from impaling myself on the ladder but I took the brunt of it on my left tricep
and my right elbow.
There is a fine line between stubborn and perseverance…The
next day of course was the Rock Hall Sprint Triathlon. Bobbi gave me the out that she felt it
was bad enough that I could withdraw…but there is a fine line between stubborn
and perseverance…
The Rock Hall Sprint is a nice race. The swim is a 750
meters in a protected harbor with little to no wind or chop…the bike a 15 mile
route on relatively flat roads with wide berms to ride on…and the run is supper
flat and easy 5K…
But the injury to my left tricep was a killer for the swim.
I had gotten my swim time with pool work to just below 2:00/100M and I was
confident that I could match that in the water… I had even had a open water swim
practice just 5 days before which I felt pretty strong…
With every stroke of my left arm I felt as if someone was
punching my tricep each time it hit the water and my right elbow was just flat
out hurting…I got out of the water and hit the bike knowing I was already about
4 mins slower than I should have been (19:14 or 2:33/100m out of the water)… I pushed pretty hard on the bike and
both the tricep and elbow held up pretty well as I long I stayed in a good bike
position. Anytime I didn’t my fingers on my left hand would go numb and my
right elbow would throb. Bobbi had caught up to me out of the water despite the
fact she started 4 mins after me. I was able to just barley stay ahead of her
on the bike and we meet up again in transition (46:49 or 18.7 mph)…I decided the elbow pain was too
much and I was just going to stick with her on the run…she did well on the
first mile of the 5K, but at the half way point she told me to just go and
finish ahead of her…I just went and finished strong…even though by time I finished
I could feel my pinky finger on my left hand and I was pretty sure my right
elbow was going to stop working at any time (28:50 or 9:18/mi). Overall 1:41:13.
Bobbi ended up rocking it! And finished a mere 4:32 behind me…so
take off the 4 min start behind me she finished just 32 sec off my pace…She is
so strong on the swim. I have a lot learn from her swiming advice and a lot more training in the pool and open water to do if I’m
going to do the Half Ironman distance (1900m swim/56 mile bike/13.1 mile run)
in the fall. Until then I’ll just continue to dance along the line… between Stubborn
and Perseverance.
Next race: Ooh Rah Run Series race #3 - Chesty Puller 5K- 25 June
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